136 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



rich black dress, glossed with green, except a 

 patch of white on the wings ; in winter it is 

 uniformly mottled black and white ; the legs and 

 feet are bright coral red. With us the Black 

 Guillemot is strictly marine in its haunts, but in 

 Spitzbergen it was found breeding more than a 

 mile inland a habit very different from any it 

 displays with us. In its actions it very closely 

 resembles its larger allies. Like them it is an 

 expert diver I have seen it dive repeatedly at 

 the flash of a gun, and thus escape the shot. 

 It is, on the whole, a more trustful bird, often 

 permitting a near approach, and frequently re- 

 maining on the surface until the boat is about to 

 pass over it, when it will dive and reappear quite 

 unconcernedly a short distance away out of danger. 

 This Guillemot often feeds quite close in shore. 

 At St. Kilda I used to see parties of this species 

 every evening, fishing under the cliffs ; but, on 

 the other hand, I have often met with them search- 

 ing for food many miles from land. The Black 

 Guillemot is nothing near so gregarious as the 

 Common Guillemot, nor does it appear to wander 

 so far from its breeding places to feed. It is 

 partially nocturnal in its habits in summer, feeding 

 well into the dusk, and during winter seldom comes 

 upon the land, sleeping out at sea. Although capable 

 of flying swiftly, it always prefers to escape danger 

 by diving ; it swims lightly, usually sitting high in 

 the water, but it has the power of sinking itself 



